On June 5, 1989, in response to the massacre of the students in Tiananmen Square, the Asian American Arts Centre in NY initiated a year long exhibition that eventually brought over 300 artists to participate, drawing attention to this historic tragedy. After the exhibit traveled to several sites over the next few years and the calls to have it and the informative materials that accompanied it died away, the exhibition and the art work that it encompassed lay dormant. Now, on the occasion of the Twentieth Anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Student Movement this exhibition is being revised with this online exhibition for all to see. Much has passed and China may no longer be the China that it was. For this exhibition, this is not the issue. Tiananmen Square, however, must not be forgotten. So many artists came forward to give selflessly to this cause, creating innumerable memorable images.

These images manifest & reflect the global outcry and passion that was felt around the world. If there is any message of these art works to be remembered, like the image of that sole resistor who stood before a line of tanks stopping them in their tracks, it is to stand up for what you believe. Remember Tiananmen Square...

*This Online Exhibition is initiated today and is planned to be continuous, with no end date determined. For more information about this exhibition, see our exhibitions page HERE.

*Available daily to visitors to AAAC at 26 Bowery in June and July 2009 from 1230pm -530pm are several video tapes including, a video of the Student Leader Chai Ling making her statement on June 8 over visuals of the massacre (30min). Also available is a video of American News Reports from Mid May to June 4th in NY including some on NY Chinatown (1.5 hrs).